Black with dark conservative suits. Dark brown with anything. Bourbon with anything except a dark, conservative suit. Walnut with a light-colored suit, or in a 2008 issue of GQ.

Really, if biz cas is no jacket or tie, then you might want to look at a different style of shoe. I have them in dark brown, but I only wear them when I'm in at least a sportcoat, and more often then not a tie.

All of the broguing on those shoes makes them look a bit fancy, so if they're your only pair of shoes, I'd go with black to tone them down a bit. If you already have a good pair of black shoes, then definitely go with bourbon. Bourbon AE's are GREAT.

All of the broguing on those shoes makes them look a bit fancy, so if they're your only pair of shoes, I'd go with black to tone them down a bit. If you already have a good pair of black shoes, then definitely go with bourbon. Bourbon AE's are GREAT.

Brown, brogued shoes stand out a bit more, though. There's formality, and there's notability. Having a pair of shoes that disappears under the hem of your suit is a good thing.

It's a balance. My dark brown Strands are my only AEs -- shoes I can wear for something serious, but which are still an elegant choice with a sportcoat. I bought them with confidence -- because I have uninspiring plain black captoes for when I need them. If I didn't have a pair of conservative black shoes, then I might have gone for PAs (even though I'm not a big fan of the PA).